PA Weather: Nearly 3 Inches Of Rain Could Fall In Weekend Storms

PENNSYLVANIA - A pair of storms are set to hit Pennsylvania this weekend with potentially damaging winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms, forecasters said.

Showers will move into the state by Friday afternoon, with the heaviest rain of the storm system to impact Pennsylvania overnight Friday into Saturday as isolated thunderstorms develop, the National Weather Service said Friday morning.

The eastern two-thirds of the state is set to see the most rainfall (around 1.5 to 2.5 inches) through Monday night; the rest of the state is expected to see .8 to 1.25 inches during the same time period.

Rain will spread across central PA this morning and continue the rest of today and tonight. Steady rain will taper off to more intermittent showers on Saturday, then another round of heavier rain will move through on Sunday. #PAwx pic.twitter.com/VMTH0yHY5x
— NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) April 28, 2023

Damaging winds up to 50 mph could also hit the state Friday afternoon and evening, forecasters said.

"Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects," forecasters said. "Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution."

"East-Southeasterly winds will gust between 35 and 45 mph from late this morning through this evening, with the strongest winds on the ridge tops and just to the west of gaps in the ridges," forecasters said Friday. "Westerly winds will likely gust between 40 and 45 mph late Sunday night through Tuesday as much colder air pushes into the region."

The first bout of rain is expected to taper off early Saturday afternoon, with lighter gusts of wind between 10 and 15 mph also possible, forecasters said.

The second storm is set to make its way into the state early Sunday morning, though the majority of rainfall will start between midday and Sunday afternoon, forecasters said. Total rainfall amounts are estimated to be between 1 to 1.5 inches, though locally higher amounts are possible during periods of moderate to heavy rain.

"Total [rainfall] amounts from the two rounds of rain will range from around an inch in the north to over two inches in parts of the central mountains and south," National Weather Service forecaster said.

Unsettled weather conditions are expected to linger through the middle to the end of next week, forecasters added. The “bright spot” of the week may be seen on Monday, which is expected to be dry and potentially sunny across most of the state. Temperatures could reach up to 60 degrees before dropping back down into the low 40s overnight.

Here’s the latest forecast, per the National Weather Service:

Friday: Rain, mainly after 10 a.m. High near 52. East wind 10 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night: Rain. Low around 46. East wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday: Rain before 9 a.m., then light rain likely, mainly between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. High near 55. East wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: A chance of light rain before 9 p.m., then rain likely, mainly after 3 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Southeast wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday: Rain. High near 58. Southeast wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Sunday Night: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm before 9 p.m., then rain likely. Low around 41. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.